In Mourdock Damage Control Mode, NRSC Ties Akin To Democrat Donnelly

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, whose mission is to elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate, is in the odd position Wednesday of attacking Democrat Joe Donnelly in the Indiana Senate race by associating him with Todd Akin, the GOP Senate nominee in Missouri.

In a strategy that feels like it could come out of a Democratic communications shop, the NRSC sent an email to reporters Wednesday morning that put Donnelly and Akin’s name in bold print, highlighting an AP story from August — the wake of Akin’s “legitimate rape” comments — that pointed out Donnelly co-sponsored HR 3, the so-called “forcible rape” law.

The NRSC was reacting to the big news coming out of Tuesday night’s debate in the Indiana Senate race, where Republican nominee Richard Mourdock said that he believed that pregnancies caused by rape “is something that God intended.”

After the debate, Donnelly pounced on Mourdock’s comments. “The God I believe in and the God I know most Hoosiers believe in, does not intend for rape to happen — ever,” Donnelly said in a statement. “What Mr. Mourdock said is shocking, and it is stunning that he would be so disrespectful to survivors of rape.”

The NRSC’s email seems to be an effort to blunt Donnelly’s offensive and portray him as no more moderate on abortion than Mourdock. However, Mourdock’s position on rape exceptions is different from Donnelly’s, who supports exceptions for rape and incest victims.